2018 Remarkable! Season Preview – Toronto Blue Jays

by | Mar 13, 2018 | Baseball

 

2017 Record: 76-86 (4th in AL East)

The Blue Jays added Curtis Granderson to their outfield along with trading for Randall Grichuk. Toronto will need a healthy season from Aaron Sanchez to compete in a very tough AL East. Here’s our Remarkable! season preview.

 

Starting Pitchers

 

Marcus Stroman
  • Opponents had a groundball rate of 63.0% (379/602) against Marcus Stroman in the 2017 season — 2nd highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 45.3%.
  • He induced opposing hitters to ground into 34 double plays in 154 opportunities (22.1%) in 2017 — best among qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 12.5%.

  • Opponents hit .167 against Marcus Stroman (6-for-36) on changeups in 2017 — tied for 11th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .252.

 

Marco Estrada
  • He threw his changeup 31.9% of the time (1,035/3,246) in the 2017 season — 2nd highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 19.0%.

  • Opponents hit .154 against Marco Estrada (20-for-130) on inside fastballs in 2017 — best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .271.
  • Opponents hit .345 against Marco Estrada (19-for-55) on curves and sliders in 2017 — 4th worst among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .222.

 

J.A. Happ
  • He allowed an OBP of .229 (27/118) vs left-handed batters in the 2017 season — 7th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .334.
  • He recorded 100 of his 142 strikeouts (70.4%) with his fastball in 2017 — 9th highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 43.5%.
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .260 (33 Total Bases / 127 ABs) with RISP in 2017 — 6th best among SPs in MLB; League Avg: .440.

 

Jaime Garcia
  • Opponents had a chase percentage of 49.5% (185/374) against Jaime Garcia with two strikes in the 2017 season — 4th highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 40.6%.
  • Opponents had a groundball rate of 55.5% (266/479) against Jaime Garcia in 2017 — 11th highest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 45.3%.
  • He threw at  least two strikes in his first three pitches to 52.5% (189/360) of opposing right-handed batters in 2017 — 4th lowest among SPs in MLB; League Avg: 63.1%..

 

Aaron Sanchez
  • Threw 36 innings in 2017

 

Relief Pitchers

 

2017 Bullpen Ranks

Stat # Rank
AVG .239 T-8th
OBP .311 9th
SLG .409 T-18th
OPS .719 T-11th
BB% 8.4% 8th
K% 25.3% 8th
GB% 42.5% 25th

 

Roberto Osuna
  • He walked 9 of 249 batters (3.6%) in the 2017 season — 6th lowest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 9.2%.
  • Hitters chased 74 of Roberto Osuna‘s 145 breaking balls out of the zone (chase rate of 51.0%) in 2017 — highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 32.8%.
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .274 (64 Total Bases / 234 ABs) in 2017 — 18th best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .402.

 

Seung-Hwan Oh
  • He induced opposing hitters to ground into 1 double play in 66 opportunities (1.5%) in the 2017 season — 4th lowest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 10.4%.
  • He threw his fastball for a strike 72.6% (462/636) of the time in 2017 — 7th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 65.2%.
  • Right-handed hitters had a chase rate of 36.9% (113/306) against Seung-Hwan Oh in 2017 — League Avg: 30.6%.

 

Aaron Loup
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .867 (26 Total Bases / 30 ABs) on the first pitch of at-bats in the 2017 season — 2nd worst among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .566.
  • Left-handed hitters had a groundball rate of 62.9% (44/70) against Aaron Loup in 2017 — 11th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 45.4%.
  • He has not allowed a home run in any of the last 17 innings he’s appeared (Stephen Strasburg has the longest active streak at 67.0).

 

Danny Barnes
  • Opponents hit .118 against Danny Barnes (8-for-68) with RISP in the 2017 season — 8th best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .254.
  • He recorded 49 of his 62 strikeouts (79.0%) with his fastball in 2017 — 13th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 47.6%.

 

Ryan Tepera
  • He allowed a slugging percentage of .283 (13 Total Bases / 46 ABs) when he’s behind in the count in the 2017 season — 7th best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .608.
  • Opponents had a line drive rate of 31.0% (9/29) against Ryan Tepera on low curves and sliders in 2017 — 4th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 20.3%.

 

Joe Biagini
  • Opponents had a Well-Hit Avg of .080 (9/112) against Joe Biagini in the 2017 season — 6th best among RPs in MLB; League Avg: .153.
  • Opponents had a groundball rate of 57.1% (16/28) against Joe Biagini on curves and sliders in 2017 — 15th highest among RPs in MLB; League Avg: 45.7%.

 

Hitters

 

2017 Offense Ranks

Stat # Rank
AVG .240 29th
OBP .312 T-26th
SLG .412 T-23rd
OPS .724 25th
BB% 8.8% 14th
K% 21.6% 16th
QAB 2580 18th
wOBA .321 25th

 

Justin Smoak
  • He slugged .585 (121 total bases in 207 ABs) versus relief pitchers in the 2017 season — best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .403.

  • He had a Well-Hit Avg of .159 (46/290) with two strikes in 2017 — 10th best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .101.
  • He had 31 HRs in 436 ABs (14.1 AB/HR) versus RHP in 2017 — 11th best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 26.5.

 

Josh Donaldson
  • He slugged .761 (143 total bases in 188 ABs) on high fastballs in the last two seasons — best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .385.

  • He drew 185 walks in 1,196 PAs (15.5%) in the last two seasons — 5th highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 8.4%.
  • He had an OPS of 1.015 (773 PAs) versus starting pitchers in the last two seasons — 5th best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .759.

 

Russell Martin
  • He slugged  just .081 (5 total bases in 62 ABs) on low non-fastballs in the 2017 season — worst among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .300.
  • He chased 23.4% of pitches out of the zone (66/282) with two strikes in 2017 — 6th lowest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 40.9%.
  • He had an OBP of .438 (105 PAs) against right-handed relievers in 2017 — 4th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .320.

 

Troy Tulowitzki
  • He had a line drive rate of just 8.5% (7/82) with two strikes in the 2017 season — lowest among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: 21.2%.

  • He batted .383 (23-for-60) on pitches 94 mph or greater in 2017 — 4th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .258.
  • He slugged just .193 (16 total bases in 83 ABs) on curves and sliders in 2017 — 5th worst among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .362.

 

Yangervis Solarte
  • He has not drawn a walk in his last 77 PA’s against a RHP dating back to August 27, 2017 (Devon Travis has the longest active streak at 104).
  • He grounded into 18 double plays in 86 opportunities (20.9%) in the 2017 season — highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 11.1%.
  • He struck out 61 times in 512 PAs (11.9%) in 2017 — 10th lowest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 21.6%.

 

Kevin Pillar
  • He made 23 non-routine plays out of 59 chances (39.0%) in the last two season — 13th best in MLB; League Avg: 22.7%.
  • He chased 45.2% of pitches out of the zone (141/312) versus LHP in the 2017 season — 4th highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 29.6%.
  • He had a line drive rate of 29.7% (33/111) on pitches 94 mph or greater in 2017 — 10th highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 22.4%.

 

Kendrys Morales
  • He batted .362 (46-for-127) versus LHP in the 2017 season — 5th best among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .255.
  • Opponents used a defensive shift against Kendrys Morales on 51.2% of his plate appearances (311/608) in 2017 — 11th highest among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 13.0%.

 

Curtis Granderson
  • 7.4% of Curtis Granderson‘s plate appearances lasted eight or more pitches (39/527 PAs)  in the 2017 season — most among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: 3.3%.
  • He batted just .144 (25-for-174) on non-fastballs in 2017 — worst among qualified hitters in MLB; League Avg: .224.

 

 

Randal Grichuk
  • He chased 40.5% pitches (60/148) when the pitcher is behind in the count in the 2017 season — League Avg: 26.9%.
  • He slugged .750 (54 total bases in 72 ABs) on low fastballs in 2017 — tied for 5th best among part-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .444.

 

 

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